Manager, Buy Parts

Job Summary

Manager, Operational Procurement, Production Planning & Inventory Control is a hands‑on leadership role responsible for end‑to‑end material planning execution, inventory accuracy, and supplier alignment within a high‑mix, high‑volume welding manufacturing environment. This leader owns SAP planning strategy and parameters (MRP, lot sizing, safety stock, lead times), oversees purchase order execution, and leads cross‑functional efforts to protect production schedules and customer commitments.

In addition to direct planning and execution responsibilities, this role manages and develops a team of Senior Buyers, Buyer Planners, Inventory Analysts, Cycle Counters, and Operations Team Leads. The position has full ownership of the cycle count program, variance analysis, root cause identification, corrective actions, and execution of the annual physical inventory. Success in this role requires strong SAP and Ariba expertise, disciplined operational leadership, and the ability to translate data into actionable results across Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Global Sourcing, and Finance.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Buyers, Buyer Planners, Inventory Analysts, Cycle Counters, and Operations Team Leads, ensuring clear accountability for planning execution and inventory accuracy.
• Establish performance expectations, KPIs, and development plans aligned to material availability, inventory health, and operational stability.
• Create a culture of ownership, urgency, and continuous improvement across supply chain and inventory control functions.

Planning & MRP Excellence

• Own and govern SAP planning parameters (MRP types, lot sizing, planning time fences, lead times, safety stock, reorder points, sourcing lists) to balance service levels, inventory investment, and operational efficiency.
• Lead ongoing MRP health checks; drive root cause analysis and corrective actions for shortages, past due orders, stockouts, excess, and volatility.
• Define and optimize planning strategies across make‑to‑stock, make‑to‑order, Kanban, and externally sourced materials.
• Ensure demand prioritization and exception management processes are consistently executed and improved.

PO Lifecycle & Buyer Execution

• Oversee purchase order release, maintenance, rescheduling, expediting, and de‑expediting in SAP.
• Ensure timely resolution of order blocks, pricing discrepancies, lead time inaccuracies, and confirmation gaps.
• Review open PO risk, supplier past dues, and ASN performance; lead escalation and recovery plans for critical materials.
• Partner with Global Sourcing to align sourcing strategies, terms, and supplier performance management.

Key Responsibilities (Continued)

Inventory Control & Accuracy

• Own the enterprise cycle count program, including count strategy, frequency, tolerance thresholds, and audit compliance.
• Analyze cycle count variances; identify root causes (process, system, receiving, production, scrap, master data) and lead corrective and preventive actions.
• Manage and execute the annual physical inventory process, ensuring cross‑functional readiness, system integrity, and financial accuracy.
• Drive improvements to inventory accuracy, on‑hand reliability, and ERP transaction discipline.

Supplier Collaboration & Performance

• Lead supplier engagement on capacity planning, lead time alignment, and delivery commitments to support production schedules.
• Facilitate daily and weekly escalations to protect critical builds and prevent line downtime.
• Support dual‑sourcing strategies and supply risk mitigation initiatives.

Ariba / Source‑to‑Pay (S2P)

• Oversee Ariba requisition, approval, sourcing, contract, and PO workflows integrated with SAP.
• Ensure master data accuracy for vendors, pricing, and contracts; enforce compliance to S2P policies.
• Partner with Global Sourcing, Finance, and AP to close process gaps from PR through invoice.

Key Responsibilities (Continued)

Cross‑Functional Alignment

• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Logistics, Global Sourcing, and Finance to synchronize demand, supply, capacity, and inventory strategies.
• Clearly communicate material risks, recovery plans, and inventory impacts to senior leadership.

Continuous Improvement

• • Identify systemic process weaknesses; lead CI initiatives to reduce lead time, inventory exposure, and supply volatility.
  • Leverage analytics to improve forecast consumption, inventory turns, and exception response time.
    
    

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in supply chain, production planning, and inventory management within a discrete manufacturing environment (welding, metal fabrication, or industrial equipment).
• Demonstrated experience leading teams of buyers, planners, or inventory control professionals.
• Expert‑level SAP ECC / S4 knowledge in MM/PP (MRP, PO management, inventory and master data).
• Hands‑on experience with Ariba and Source‑to‑Pay processes.
• Proven success improving inventory accuracy, supplier OTD, and material availability.
• Strong analytical, root cause, and executive communication skills.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Inventory Accuracy & Cycle Count Performance
• Unplanned Line Downs / Material Availability
• Supplier OTD (≥ 95% for critical commodities)
• Schedule Adherence / OTIF
• Inventory Turns / Excess & Obsolete (E&O)
• PO Past Due & MRP Exception Reduction
• Master Data Audit Pass Rate

Tools & Systems

• SAP ECC / S4 (MM/PP, MRP, inventory management)
• Ariba (Source‑to‑Pay), Open Text
• Excel (advanced), Power BI / Tableau (preferred)
• Teams, SharePoint, and standard collaboration tools